research

New study on Vancouver’s Arbutus Greenway: Can urban planning affect health and well-being?

Research has shown that where people live is an important predictor of their health and well-being, but can cities make people healthier by design?

Meghan Winters, a professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, is co-leading a study to investigate if and how developing Vancouver’s Arbutus Greenway will make the city a healthier and happier place to live, work and play.

The Arbutus Greenway stretches along a nine-kilometer historic
railway line purchased by the City of Vancouver in 2016 for $55 million.
The city recently approved a design vision for the Greenway that will
transform it into a vibrant walking and cycling corridor connecting four
different neighbourhoods.

The Interventions, Research, and Action
in Cities Team (INTERACT), co-led by Winters, has initiated a new study
in tandem with the Greenway’s redevelopment. Winters says INTERACT
views cities as “living laboratories” by using big data to evaluate how
changes in urban design are influencing health and well-being in
communities across Canada.

“Designing and building urban infrastructure is a lengthy and costly process,” she says. “Yet there is very little local data and research available about the health impact of these investments.”

She says INTERACT aims to fill this knowledge gap by working in collaboration with citizens and Vancouver city stakeholders over a span of five years. The study will gather data to measure how changes in the urban environment impact the physical activity, social connectedness and well-being of nearby residents, and to determine whether these impacts are felt equally across socioeconomic groups.

The project will use new methods in mobile sensing, such as
collecting sensor and GPS data through a smartphone app. These new
methods, says Winters, capture a level of detail that is impossible
using traditional survey methods.

“Designing cities that
promote health and equity is a priority for public health and for urban
planners who are looking for solutions to pressing urban health
challenges like physical inactivity and social isolation,” says Winters.
“By improving the ability of cities to measure and optimize the health
benefits of their investments, INTERACT aims to guide sustainable urban
development that will leave a lasting impact on population health and
health equity in Canada.”

The study is currently recruiting adults
18 years or older who live within three kilometers of the Arbutus
Greenway. They will help gather information about how this new
development influences their health and well-being. Participating is a
rare opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research that will not
only guide the future of urban spaces in Vancouver, but also inspire the
design of healthier cities for all Canadians.